This invention relates to a winch which includes a member attached to the cable adjacent its fixed end to the winch drum to prevent or inhibit continued rotation of the drum in a direction to pay out the cable which would otherwise cause reverse winding of the cable onto the drum.
Winches of course generally include a drum mounted in a frame and rotatable relative to the frame. The drum includes a cylindrical surface around which a cable is wound. With the cable wound in a first direction from a first fixed end of the cable, rotation of the drum in the same first direction acts to pay out the cable and rotation of the drum in the second opposed direction acts to wind in the cable.
If the winch drum is rotated in the first direction paying out the cable to a position angularly beyond the position in which all of the cable is paid out, the cable is kinked back on itself and then is wound in the second direction around the drum.
In many winches the direction of winding of the cable onto the drum is of little importance except that of course it reverses the direction of rotation necessary to wind in and payout the cable.
However some winches, particularly those used for safety situations include a brake which will prevent the winch drum from rotating in the payout direction in the event that there is a significant pulling force on the cable due to for example the falling of a person being winched or pulled in.
One example of a winch of this type is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,344,121 of the present inventor.
In the event that a winch of this type is taken beyond the maximum payout position of the cable and the cable rewound in the opposed direction, the brake becomes inoperative and the safety provided by the winch is compromised.
Up till now this problem has been inhibited simply by providing markings on the cable to warn the user that the end position is approaching. However situations have been encountered where the warning markings have been ignored and the winch drum rotated beyond the maximum payout position so that the cable is wound in the opposed or wrong direction.